Twilight star Kellan Lutz confirms he's a lead contender to star in the new Conan the Barbarian.

"It's something that I've been actively going after because I'd die to put the weight back on," he told us at last night's Division-E party at Lisa Kline in L.A. "I'm tired of playing young; I want to be the big guy that I was."

Just how close is he to winning the role?

"I've been auditioning," Kellan, 24, said. "They're finalizing so they're trying to figure out what happens next. I've been waiting for a while, doing screen tests. There are just so many cooks in the kitchen. If it happens, it happens…Regardless, it's not gonna be the new Arnold Schwarzenegger type of movie, no one's going to try and play that role. I think they're going younger, a different type of story. I'm just excited, because the script is great."

Stargate: Atlantis actor Jason Momoa is also up for the role, according to Deadline Hollywood. With shooting scheduled to start on March 15 in Bulgaria, producers and director Marcus Nispel should be making a decision any day now. No word on how that fits with Lutz's calendar, because Summit still hasn't officially given the go for the next Twilight flick (or flicks, if a fifth one is made, too)